For the first time in three weeks, AEW Collision returns for a live episode from Kent, Washington, headlined by an all star eight-woman tag team match.
On one side, ROH Women’s World Champion Athena teams with Thekla, Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford to take on former AEW Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa, Queen Aminata, Tay Conti and Anna Jay.
AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm will be on hand to share thoughts ahead of her All In Texas defense against Mercedes Mone.
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley will take on AR Fox in non-title action while former champion Swerve Strickland takes on Shane Taylor.
**********
Hey folks, internet issues prevented me from starting the show right on time! Sorry about that!
Collision opened with Stokley Hathaway cutting a promo about the 8-man tag match against Paragon, Daniel Garcia, and Bandido following AEW’s successful debut in Arena Mexico. This week, they come live from Seattle.
The Death Riders made their entrance, with Moxley entering the arena ready for his match against AR Fox.
AEW World Champion Jon Moxley (w/ Wheeler Yuta) defeated AR Fox in a non-title match
Fox was very over in this match, with the fans chanting loudly for him as he went right after Moxley. However, as Fox launched off the top ropes, Moxley countered with a huge forearm that dropped Fox and it was quickly turned around where the AEW World Champion was beating on the local favourite.
Moxley’s heat was incredible in this match. Fox hit a DDT as Moxley got caught in the ropes, and flipped over the top rope into a stomp on Moxley’s chest before hitting a triangle moonsault to the floor. Moxley cut Fox off and locked in a choke while Fox was on the top rope, before suplexing Fox down and locking on a submission while crucifixing the arms of Fox.
Fox escaped to the ropes, hit an enziguri, and a tope sucidica to the floor on Moxley. Fox hit a pump kick on Yuta on the floor and a cutter on Moxley in the ring, followed by another pump kick and cutter. Fox celebrated, and Moxley immediately took advantage, hitting a lariat on Fox, a Gotch Style Piledriver, mounted elbows, and a rear naked choke until Fox went out. Great finish.
–After the match, Moxley hit a Death Rider and called for the microphone from Yuta. Moxley talked about how he was not as patient with Hangman as the the AEW audience was, as Hangman wasted all his opportunities and that All In would be no different. Excellent promo.
–AEW aired a great recap of the Dynamite at Arena Mexico. This hype package ruled, including highlights from Hangman’s awesome opening promo, Mercedes’ title win, and Hangman Page saving Swerve Strickland.
–Adam Cole, Daniel Garcia, Roderick Strong, and Bandio cut a promo about their upcoming 8-man tag.
Protoshita (Kyle Fletcher & Konosuke Takeshita) & FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) (w/ Stokley Hathaway) defeated Paragon (Adam Cole & Roderick Strong), Daniel Garcia, & Bandido
This match served as the weekly Collision party match, and I’m glad it did. It is hard to have a bad match with these 8 tremendous wrestlers, and this was no exception to that rule. Harwood immediately attacked Bandido, but had to cope with Bandido quickly turning it around and tagging out to Strong. Harwood managed to drop Strong with a hard forearm and tagged out to Takeshita, who mocked the babyfaces as he beat on Strong.
Garcia made a brief comeback, but ate a kick from Fletcher that sent him to the mat, allowing Harwood to work him over for the next few minutes. Bandido tagged in and hit Harwood with several lariats before hitting a kick on Takeshita and an incredible tornado DDT on Fletcher. The match eventually broke down into everyone hitting big moves, ending with Cole and Fletcher exchanging strikes with Cole hitting a brainbuster onto his own knee. All 8 men started brawling, with Cole saving Strong from a Shatter Machine and Bandido hitting a moonsault to the floor. Strong, however, turned into a superkick from Fletcher and ate the Shatter Machine for the win for FTR and the Don Callis Family.
–The heels were beating down the babyfaces and The Outrunners, with hometown hero Truth Magnum, made the save. Wheeler was calling for help from someone, but they never arrived. The announcers highlighted that Harwood was shocked that the Outrunners took Bandido’s side, rather than theirs, highlighting the brief on screen friendship we saw with the Outrunners and FTR.
–Tay Melo, Anna Jay, Thunder Rosa, and Queen Aminata talked about their upcoming main event tag match against Athena, Thekla, Penelope Ford, and Megan Bayne. They cut to the other team, and Athena talked about how it was Athena Elite Wrestling tonight, and how she didn’t like Ford or Bayne, which Bayne took exception to.
–Mercedes Mone was interviewed by Renee Paquette in Mexico on Wednesday, and she talked about how Toni Storm’s time was up.
Swerve Strickland (w/ Prince Nana) defeated Shane Taylor (w/ Shane Taylor Promotions)
Early on, the Infantry seemed to be arguing with Taylor on the floor, betting money on the match among themselves and with Prince Nana, which confused the announcers. Swerve kicked Taylor right in the face to the delight of the crowd, and Taylor responded with hard forearms. The Infantry convinced Tony Schiavone to come over and bet on the match too, which was super entertaining.
Taylor hit a splash crushing Swerve against the apron. Schiavone came back to the desk and claimed he put his money on Swerve, while Nana and the Infantry continued to cheer on their subsequent betting partners. When the came back from the ad break, Taylor crashed into the corner, missing a corner charge. Swerve hit a dropkick to the knee of Taylor and then a running knee for a two count. At this point, the fans started chanting very loudly for local indie promotion Defy (which I highly recommend checking out, as their shows are always awesome).
Swerve locked on an armbar of sorts on Taylor, who fought out using his strength, hitting a big standing knee on Swerve. Swerve managed to stun Taylor on the top rope, and hit a massive Olympic slam on Taylor off the ropes. Swerve hit a Swerve stomp off the top rope onto the apron, and Prince Nana stole the cash from the betting, leading to money flying everywhere as Swerve hit a dive onto the Infantry and a House Call on Taylor for the win. This was tremendous.
–A recap of Toni Storm attacking Mercedes Mone aired.
–Toni Storm was on the stage dressed as Carmen Sandiego, and cut a promo about Mercedes Mone, talking about how Mone said that they were going to have the biggest match of all time, but Storm was disappointed in her. Storm asked if the AEW Women’s World Championship was just another trophy for her, and that she was not just some other opponent (cussing in the process), and that Mone better not take her lightly, because she was going to eat Mercedes Mone alive if she makes one mistake.
Storm said she wanted Mone’s best, because she is the best. The first woman to ever wrestle at Madison Square Garden, Wembley, the Tokyo Dome, and Arena Mexico, and Storm said she was the greatest of all time. Storm said that she wasn’t that, but that she was the one that made magic happen when she held the world title, and that Mercedes Mone would have to kill her to take her title. This promo was incredible.
The Conglomeration (Mark Briscoe, Hologram, & Willow Nightingale) vs. MxM Collection (Mansoor & Mason Madden) & Taya Valkyrie (w/ Johnny TV)
This was a fun back and forth match that saw Hologram and Briscoe trying to over come the size of Madden and Mansoor. In a ridiculous spot, Mansoor hit a catapult into the posterior for Madden, but their advantage did not last long, with Mark Briscoe firing up for the comeback taking on both men to a roar from the crowd.
Briscoe hit a palm strike that sent Mansoor flying backwards to the floor, and Briscoe hit a running dropkick on Madden, but was double teamed by Johnny TV and Mansoor, leading to Hologram coming in and clearing the ring, but Taya Valkyrie hitting a hurricanrana on Hologram, leading to Willow Nightingale hitting a spear on Mansoor before Hologram hit a portal bomb on Mansoor. Briscoe and Hologram hit tope sucidias to the floor and Briscoe hit the Froggy-bow on Mansoor for the win. Really fun match.
–Kris Statlander was backstage with Lexy Nair, and she was fed up with people asking her about Willow Nightingale. Wheeler Yuta walked up to talk her, and she shoved Yuta away, but turned right around into Jon Moxley. She dropped her phone, and Moxley slowly picked it up, and said, “Don’t let anyone tell you who you are and what you are worth” before handing the phone back to her and walking away. This was very interesting.
–The Don Callis family came down to the ring with Josh Alexander and Lance Archer accompanying him. Callis announced the newest member of the Don Callis Family, officially now, Kazuchika Okada. Callis grabbed the mic back from Schiavone again, interrupting him, and the fans booed Callis out of the building as they re-aired the attack on Kenny Omega. Callis said he was tired of Schiavone talking trash about him, but he wasn’t here about that, and wanted to talk about Kenny Omega, asking how Omega felt to have his greatest opponent, Okada, and the man that knew all his weaknesses, Callis, was now a unit.
Callis said that even if Omega made it to All In, he has no friends left. Mark Briscoe came out and told Callis to shut up, claiming he was Omega’s friend. Briscoe said he wasn’t his only friend either, and out came Kota Ibushi, returning to AEW looking like he was in incredible shape. Briscoe and Archer started brawling, and Ibushi slowly walked down to the ring, and he laid Alexander out with a massive kick only to turn around and face one of his biggest rivals, Kazauchika Okada.
Ibushi and Okada have unfinished business from the G1 Finals years ago when Ibushi was injured and unable to finish the match, and it seems that the old feud is reigniting again. This was a huge angle, and it was tremendous.
–The Workhorsemen and Learning Tree were brawling when they came back from break, with both teams not having a match, but a massive fight that started backstage. Big Bill hit a massive chokeslam into a set of four chairs that were setup. As Bill grabbed a mic, Christian Cage and the Patriarchy came out. Christian said that the only good things to come out of Washington State were Nick Wayne and the Matriarch.
Christian claimed that the brawl was cutting into his mic time, and he had a huge announcement to make. Christian said that it was time that he and Nick Wayne became a tag team, becoming the first ever father & son tag team. Big Bill said a rather crass comment about Mother Wayne, and offered to fight Christian Cage & Nick Wayne tonight. Cage claimed to be the man that ran Collision and he only fights on his own terms.
–Last week, Anthony Bowens was with Billy Gunn after his loss. Bowens said that the two of them needed to get their act together, and Gunn was supposed to help him. He said he didn’t want to end up like Max Caster. It seems like we might see Bowens moving towards a heel turn and division with Billy Gunn.
Jetspeed (Kevin Knight & Mike Bailey) defeated The Gates of Agony (Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun)
I really like Toa Liona, and would love to see more of him. I have said this several times, but I’d love to see AEW do something with him. Ricochet was on commentary, saying that his crew was not going to be the Cru, as they ruined the chances of them being a part of his group. Liona spent the early portions of the match beating on Mike Bailey, saying his face was perfect for punching. Knight tried to armdrag Liona, but Liona blocked it. Knight sent Liona to the floor, but ate knees to his chest as Kaun put his knees up when Knight went for a splash.
Bailey went for a tope to the floor, and Liona hit a pounce on Bailey before he hit the floor, sending him flying. Liona walked up to the applauding Ricochet and put his arm around him as Ricochet showed his approval. The Gates of Agony hit a double team powerbomb on Knight for a 2-count, and it is clear that these two huge men are getting over in this match.
The Gates of Agony continued to beat on Knight for the next few minutes, coming back from break as Knight managed to hit a lariat off the middle rope on Kaun. Bailey made the hot tag, dodging a corner charge from Liona that saw Liona fly over the ropes, hitting the ring post as he crumbled to the floor. Liona, however, like a monster, came back in and hit a a fallaway slam on Knight while hitting Bailey with a Samoan drop.
Liona smashed Knight with a headbutt but as they went for Open the Gates, Knight hit a DDT on both men, but Liona just stood up again, and ate a double dropkick from Jetspeed. Jetspeed hit stereo tope con giro’s to the floor. Kaun and Bailey went back into the ring, and Kaun hit a gorilla press into a lung blower on Bailey. Bailey hit a spinning heel kick and triangle moonsasult to the floor on Liona while Knight hit a frog splash onto Kaun. This match was awesome. I would have had the Gates of Agony go over with Ricochet’s help, but this was not a bad result by any stretch.
Athena (w/ Billie Starkz), Thekla, Penelope Ford, & Megan Bayne defeated Tay Melo, Anna Jay, Queen Aminata, & Thunder Rosa
Athena came across as the biggest star in this match, by far, and she exchanged some very hard strikes with Aminata. Anna Jay came in and soon all women were setting up for a joint suplex, and all 8 women fought over a suplex, with the babyfaces and heels unable to complete the move. They broke off from each other and Athena and Megan Bayne both hit a double Samoan drop and fall away slam at same time on their opponents. Bayne and Athena stood face to face, as Thekla and Aminata resumed their match from last week.
Thekla was so fast in this match, with almost no one being able to keep up with her. Animata hit a huge headbutt, but Athena reached through the ropes to break the count. Tay Melo and Ford tagged in and resumed their violent feud from a few years ago, with Melo hitting a DDT on Ford. Bayne broke it up and hit a double German suplex on Jay and Melo at the same time.
Melo popped up and hit a knee strike on Bayne and tagged out to Rosa, while Athena came in and started exchanging chops with her. Athena hit a sole butt and then a series of kicks ending in an enziguri. Rosa hit a dropkick bouncing off the ropes. Rosa hit a stiff dropkick to Athena who was laying on the bottom rope. Melo hit a Gotch style piledriver on Ford, while Bayne hit a spear on Melo. Jay dropped Bayne with a DDT, and Thekla hit a spear on Jay. Animata hit a twist and shout on Thekla, and Athena hit a tombstone on Aminata. Rosa hit a Death Valley Driver on Athena, but Red Velvet ran out and tossed the ROH Women’s title to Athena, who leveled Rosa and pinned her for the win.
Final Thoughts
This was an awesome episode of AEW Collision, with some big angles, great promos, and great wrestling. As the show closed, Tony Schiavone announced that there would be a Casino Gauntlet match at All In, and that Kota Ibushi would be on Dynamite. Really great show, though some more matches announced for Wednesday would have been great.
